Behind the Terror
by Ars Gratia Artis
Summary: A father's rejection, an overwhelming jealousy, and the murder of the only one she ever really loved can take quite a toll on a young princess. A take on how Azula became so powerful and hateful. Unfinished, more to come. Critiques appreciated. Please R
1. Introduction: A Request

**Intoduction: A Request**

She stood on the balcony outside of her small room, her charcoal black hair swimming slightly in the invisible breeze. Her golden eyes scanned the grounds, watching her father's soldiers setting objects ablaze using nothing but their own hands. Boredom eventually reached the child, and she sauntered back into her quarters. With cat-like grace, she jumped and landed with a soft _thump_ onto her silken covered bed. She looked around for signs of any guards nearby, and smiled slightly to herself as she realized that she was alone. From under her mountainous array of decorative pillows, she pulled out a small doll, dressed in the same scarlet robes as she, and softly stroked its strands of synthetic hair—

"Azula," a husky voice sounded from the entrance to her large room, "You know how the fire lord feels about toys."

"Let me be," the small girl instructed, without averting her gaze from the tiny object which she cradled gently.

"Your presence has been requested in the throne room. Your father would like to have a word." The guard was doing his best to look fearless and intimidating, but he could not hold a steady gaze.

_Pathetic, _he thought to himself, _afraid of a child. Hold your head high, coward._

Azula bounced childishly off of her mattress, no sound emitted as her feet struck the floor. Hands held behind her back, she walked upright towards the muscular figure, which most would cower from in fear. She had no respect for this authoritative figure, let alone an inkling of cowardice towards him.

"Has this anything to do with my lessons? I've been keeping up with them," the young girl replied, "Would you like a demonstration?" Azula flashed into her fire-bending stance, one arm directly out in front of her, palm facing towards the guard. The guard gulped, a bead of sweat forming on his brow.

"I'm not sure what the fire lord has requested you for, princess. Please, if you would follow me…"

Azula shifted back to her regular stance.

"Alright," She said, "But if anything he says is to upset me, you'll be the first to know."

Azula pushed past the guard, and started down the torch-lit hallway.


	2. Chapter One: The Meeting

**Chapter One: The Meeting**

As she marched swiftly down the corridors, handling the twists and turns of the palace with ease, Azula couldn't help but to get a little excited.

_Father has neglected to call me to him for a while now, _she thought. _Maybe he wants to spend time with me! Maybe we could go down to one of his ships and sail, like we used to do… It's been so long since he last requested my presence._ Her young mind raced with thoughts of the adventures that she and her father could have, and before she knew it, her legs were going about as fast as her imagination was. For the first time in what felt like forever, she was running, sprinting, flying down the halls with joy! Her agile feet carried her faster, faster; she didn't stop, couldn't stop, until she came to an abrupt halt in front of the gigantic, golden doors—the infamous entry to the room of the strongest bender in the world today. She let out a soft giggle, and then clapped her hands over her mouth as she noticed the benders, stationed at the doors, gaping at her.

"What," she demanded; forcing back the ear-to-ear grin that she noticed had appeared on her small face. The benders forced their lower jaws back up to the correct places. The two of them leapt into the air, landed with a _thunk,_ and spread their arms in a graceful motion. Each then spun towards the entrance, feet rooted to the ground, and delivered two powerful blasts of flame towards the center of the intricate designs that wove their way up the doors. The heated gold turned a molten-orange color, and the doors slowly creaked open. Red-hot flames poured out of the crack in the open doors, until they were just wide enough for a single person to pass. Azula stepped gracefully through, and the doors quickly slammed shut behind her.

She knew the standard procedure; Azula quickly dropped to the floor, arms in front of her body, hunched over in total surrender.

"_Azula_," The booming voice echoed throughout the large room, "_Rise_."

She quickly sprung to her feet, and stood firm in the at-ease position that she had picked up through the observation of her father's fleets. The flames engulfing the room were a little warm even for the girl, whom had been raised with fire her entire life.

"Father," She began, "What is your purpose in…"

"_Silence_," The voice behind the flame thundered. Azula, always startled by her father's brash nature, took a quick step backwards. She regained her composure quickly.

"_You have been taught to speak only when spoken to. Have you no sense, child?_" Azula almost let a quaking apology slip, but thought better of it, and kept the words behind her tongue.

"_I expect you have been keeping up with your lessons, child?_"

Azula's heart sank. So that's what this meeting was about. She tried not to let her disappointment show.

"Yes, Father."

"_Show me._"

Azula sighed, and decidedto relay the sequence that Iro had taught her in her last training session. She crouched low, and with a small grunt, released the energy built up inside of her. She leapt high into the air, and shot a column of flame to the ground. With her body's motions, she commanded the swirling torrent of fire forward, and gained speed as she raced on top of the pillar towards the opposite end of the long room. Breathing heavily, she concentrated all of her power to the core of her body, and with a holler, let loose an explosion of flame. She gently decreased the height of the column holding her up, twirling gracefully downward as it shrunk. Her feet touched the floor gently, and she stood in the same stance she had shown the guard whom had summoned her. She returned to an at-ease position, and casually blew a wisp of loose hair out of her face.

"_Not good enough._"

Azula's eyes widened in surprise and hurt.

"But Father, that is the best I can accomplish right now…"

"_SILENCE!"_

Azula whimpered slightly at the powerful response.

"_You will train harder. You are not strong enough, child. No more time for relaxation. I will tell your mother and uncle to keep a watch on you to make sure that you do not rest for a single second until you have improved._

"_Furthermore, you are to stay out of my sight until you can show me something worthwhile. Your lack of skill is loathsome, and embarrassing. You are a disappointment to my nation! I can only hope that your brother will turn out to be a better bender than you, you wretched thing! Go!"_

"Father, I can…"

"_GO!"_

Azula turned and ran out of the room, legs moving as fast as possible. She heard her father roar in frustration behind her, and as she burst through the double doors—knocking over the two benders in the process—tears stung her eyes and she let out a soft sob. She tore through the halls towards her mother's room.

_Enough is enough._


	3. Chapter 2: The Kill

**Chapter 2: The Kill**

_Author's Note: I am fully aware that Azula is the YOUNGER sister of Zuko, but for the purposes of this story it would work better if she was his senior. Try to forget about the age-swap._

_Also, the empress Xia (pronounced ZAI-uh) is a figment of my imagination. You will find no such character on the show._

_Please R&R!_

**Part One**

Azula burst through the double doors to her mother's room, tears streaming down her face as she tried desperately to choke back the sobs that were making her feel less and less like the daughter of a warlord. Humiliated after the run—the guards and soldiers that she was partially in control of had never seen a tear slip from her constantly hardening eyes; they had certainly never seen the child in hysterics—she tried to keep her face covered. She herself did not know why this particular encounter with her father had made such an impact… she should be used to the rage from the man behind the flames by now. She now stood facing into the room that was much too large for her petite mother. The empress sat on the oversized feather-bed placed squarely in the center of the west-facing wall—marked with an 烈 in every possible place, cradling her brother, the baby prince, in her arms.

"Mom," Azula choked out, and began to run forwards, but was halted abruptly by a palace guard. He coughed, and began his prepared monologue for intruders:

"Empress Xia may not be approached without prior consent from she herself or Lord Ozai. If you wish to speak to her Maj…"

"Hush, Zahur," The empress' sweet, flowing voice replied, "It is my daughter. Let her come."

The empress beckoned gracefully for Azula to join her, and the guard blushed a deep scarlet as he remembered that the rules did not apply to family. He bowed towards Xia and mumbled a humiliated apology. The empress barely had time to lay the baby down beside her before Azula bounded into her arms, letting loose tormented sobs into her mother's silken blonde hair.

"Calm now, baby. What is it?"

Azula let out a sigh—what a relief to hear her mother's soft, sweet voice after… She didn't want to think about it.

"Its father, mom. I can't impress him… and he frightened me again…" It occurred then to Azula that she was shaking violently. Xia shook her head.

"Oh, Ozai," The empress sighed softly, "What to do with a warlord, Hm?"

Xia stroked Azula's jet-black strands of hair, humming a soft melody that could have sung an enraged Unagi to sleep.

"Listen, baby, it will be just fine, I promise. Your father is just a little frustrated with some of the water tribes that are resisting… it will all be over soon." Xia's face hardened at her own words.

"Mom," Azula sniffed, "Do you like the war? Do you want people to die?"

"Of _course_ not," Xia cooed, "But your father believes that this is the way things should be…" She halted. "I have been meaning to talk to him about it though. Azula, would you mind grabbing that pacifier for Zuko off of the side table?"

Azula happily obliged. She would do anything for Xia, her beloved mother, the only person who didn't treat her like the daughter of a maniacal commander-in-chief… She gracefully reached up—the table was just a bit high for her—and swept the small pacifier into her little hands. Cradling it gently, she waltzed over to her baby brother and popped it carefully into his tiny mouth.

"There you go, Zuko." She smiled and gave her baby brother a quick peck on the forehead. He giggled.

"Thank you Zuzu," Xia sung. Azula grinned and chuckled sheepishly. She loved the pet names her mother had for her. Xia looked towards the clock and started. "Oh my, we'll be late for supper! Come, Zuzu," She said, and she stood. She picked up and held Zuko in one arm, and took Azula by the hand with the other. The three walked out of the bedroom simultaneously. Azula had already forgotten that she had been upset.

**Part 2**

Dinner had been delicious—assorted sushi mixed with the finest white rice, and of course some of Iroh's tea to finish. Azula now sat in her room, filled with childish boredom. She snapped her fingers, making little tongues of flame that disappeared as quickly as they came to be. She traced her name in the air with her lighted fingers- _A-Z-U-L-A_. She quickly crossed it out. _Z-U-Z-U_, she wrote in its place. She smiled.

_That's better._

Azula decided to go outside and practice her bending. She went out onto her balcony, and began to go through quick, harsh motions that decorated the air with bright orange flames. Somewhere from inside the castle, she heard her father's booming voice, sounding angrier than usual. She hung her head. _Poor guard._ She decided that she would just mess around a little bit, and try to shoot lightning like Iroh had demonstrated. She jabbed the air with her fingers, but no luck. She tried, time and time again, but to no avail. She became increasingly frustrated as nothing came.

_Lightning would impress him, _she thought. _But I just… can't… DO IT!_

She angrily whirled around and put all her effort into the shot. A gigantic crash echoed around her, and she heard several terrified screams. She looked at her fingers in shock, then at the sky. She grinned, proud of herself, as the cool evening air whirled around her…

Wait.

Cool?

She froze, her complexion becoming pallid as the blood drained from her face. Lightning would have made the air around her nearly as hot as the surface of the sun… Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

More screams came, and Azula began to panic. Two more crashes followed, and she listened carefully this time. The vibrations came from inside the palace. Lightning had been shot from somewhere around the throne room.

_Father, losing his temp…_

She stopped, thoughtless for a moment. The fear was too great to think.

_No. No, no, NO!_

She tore out of her room and through the hallways of the palace. She bowled over hundreds of people, but she didn't care. Only one thing sounded through her mind.

"_Mom, Do you like the war? Do you want people to die?"_

"_Of course not, but your father believes that this is the way things should be… I have been meaning to talk to him about it though."_

_I have been meaning to talk to him about it though._

_I have been meaning to talk to him about it though._

Azula was in front of the doors again. She blasted the fire herself this time, and pushed desperately against the doors. She eventually stumbled into the room, and shrieked when she realized what had taken place.

"_Nobody, opposes Lord Ozai, NOBODY!!_"

Her father paused as he looked up from the scalded body he was standing over, to stare at Azula. The burnt, but still cold body, dressed in the scarlet royal robes, with long blonde hair in a pool around her petite, dead figure…

She couldn't speak. She tried to choke the word out, but only her lips moved.

_Mom._

Ozai's eyes met hers.

"_Get… OUT!_" He thundered, flames shooting from every pore in his tanned skin.

Azula did not move.


End file.
